How to Start Google Ads in Botswana: Step-by-Step Setup for Beginners

Google Ads is still the fastest way to put your business in front of people who are ready to buy. In Botswana, search is dominated by Google, and most residents are online daily. If you can set up a clean account, choose focused keywords, and track conversions properly, you can win customers this week, not next month.

This guide walks you through the exact steps to go from zero to live ads, with Botswana‑specific tips, examples, and guardrails that protect your budget. We’ll also show you how to avoid the most common rookie mistakes (like the default location setting that wastes money).

Who this is for: Botswana SMEs, startups, and side hustles that want a practical “do‑this‑now” checklist. If you prefer an expert to set it up for you—strategy, copy, tracking, and weekly optimization—our team at Lephutshi Developers (Google Ads Management) can do it end‑to‑end.

Why Google Ads in Botswana?

Two quick facts set the stage:

• Google dominates search in Botswana. Recent market‑share snapshots show Google with well over 90% share locally. That means your customers are almost certainly googling you or your competitors.
• Internet use is mainstream. Botswana passed the tipping point years ago; millions of people are online every day. If you aren’t visible on the results page when they search, a competitor will be.

What Google Ads gives you: intent targeting (your ad appears when someone actively searches), full control of spend, and fast feedback loops. It’s measurable, adjustable, and scalable.

Prerequisites: Email, Website, Billing, and Tracking

Before clicking Start now, get these basics in place. It saves hours later and prevents data gaps:

1. Business email

• Use a dedicated business address (e.g., ads@yourdomain.co.bw) tied to a Google account you control.
• Keep owner/admin access inside the company. Agencies and freelancers should be invited via access, not given the primary login.

2. Website & landing pages

• Speed: Load in under ~3 seconds on mobile. Compress images. Use simple layouts.
• Clarity: Each service gets its own focused page (e.g., Solar Water Pump Installation Gaborone). One primary call‑to‑action (CTA), above the fold.
• Trust: Show a Botswana phone number, address (if applicable), working WhatsApp, and real photos.
• Forms: Ask only for what sales will actually use (name, phone, email, service needed). Fewer fields → higher conversion rate.

3. Billing method

• Use a valid debit/credit card (Visa/Mastercard) that can pay online. Set the card’s billing address correctly.
• Currency/time zone are permanent after setup. Choose carefully. If you pick the wrong ones, you’ll need a new account to change them later.
• Decide who owns billing: you (recommended) or your agency via a manager account.

4. Tracking & analytics basics

• Create a free Google Analytics 4 (GA4) property for your site.
• Decide what counts as a conversion: form submits, phone calls, WhatsApp clicks, purchases, bookings.
• Have access to your site’s CMS (WordPress/Elementor) to install the Google tag, or use Google Tag Manager.

Account Setup: Create Your Google Ads Account (the right way)

1. Go to ads.google.com and click Start now.
2. Skip “Smart Mode.” At the bottom, click Switch to Expert Mode. This gives you full control over keywords, bidding, and tracking.
3. Time zone & currency: pick once, carefully (you can’t change these later).
4. Billing profile: set your business legal name and address to match your card statements.
5. (Optional) Create a Manager (MCC) if you plan to manage multiple sub‑accounts (useful for franchises or separate brands).

Pro tip: Keep ownership of the primary account. If an agency will run your ads, have them request access to your account via their manager ID. You keep admin rights at all times.

Campaign Blueprint: Search vs. Performance Max vs. Demand Gen

When you click New campaign, Google offers several paths. Here’s the simplest way to choose:

• Search Campaign (text ads on the results page): Best starting point for service businesses that want calls and leads (e.g., plumbers, solar installers, clinics, schools, law firms, web design). You target specific searches like “borehole drilling Gaborone” or “tax consultant near me”.
• Performance Max (PMax): All‑in‑one automation that serves across Search, Maps, YouTube, Discover, Gmail, and Display. Works well when you already have conversions coming in and good creative assets. Great for ecommerce and strong lead‑gen brands with clean tracking.
• Demand Gen (replaces Discovery): Visual, YouTube‑style placements that build demand and capture interest higher in the funnel. Use when you have video/visual assets and want to scale reach beyond pure search intent.

Recommended path for beginners: Start with one tightly focused Search campaign. Add PMax later once your tracking is solid and your search terms prove where demand actually is.

Create Your First Search Campaign (step‑by‑step)

This assumes you want leads (calls/forms) from people in Botswana searching for your service.

1. Campaign objective: Choose Leads. Campaign type: Search.
2. Conversions: Choose or create the conversion actions you want to optimize for (e.g., Submit lead form, Phone call).
3. Networks: Uncheck “Include Google Display Network.” Keep this campaign pure Search.
4. Locations: Target specific areas you actually serve (e.g., Gaborone, Francistown, Maun). Then click Location options (Advanced) and select Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations. Avoid the default “Presence or interest.”
5. Languages: English (and Setswana if you actually use Setswana on your site or ads).
6. Budget: Start modest (e.g., ~US$5–15/day or the pula equivalent). Small, focused budgets beat scattered big budgets.
7. Bidding:
   • If you have no conversion data yet: start with Maximize Clicks with a reasonable CPC cap while you collect data; or start with Manual CPC if you want tighter control initially.
   • Once you have 15–30+ conversions in 30 days: try Maximize Conversions (or a Target CPA) and let Smart Bidding work.
8. Ad groups: Create themed ad groups. Each ad group should focus on one tight service theme. Example for a solar installer:
   • Ad Group A: solar water pump installation
   • Ad Group B: off‑grid solar systems
   • Ad Group C: solar battery storage
9. Keywords: Add 5–20 high‑intent keywords per ad group (examples below). Use phrase and exact match to start. Add negatives from day 1.
10. Ads: Create 1–2 Responsive Search Ads per ad group (15 headlines, 4 descriptions). Add sitelinks, callouts, and a call asset. If you can, test a lead form asset too.
11. Extensions (Assets): Add at least sitelinks (e.g., Pricing, Reviews, About, Contact), callouts (e.g., Fast Quotes, Local Team, 12‑Month Warranty), and call (phone) asset.
12. Save and publish. Double‑check that your conversions are recording before you scale the budget.

Critical Settings: Bidding, Budget, Location, Schedule, Devices

1. Bidding

Pick a strategy that matches your data level:

• Brand new account: Maximize Clicks (with a CPC cap) or Manual CPC while you learn the search terms and gather conversions.
• With data: Shift to Maximize Conversions or Target CPA after you’re recording reliable conversions.

Note: Smart bidding works best with stable, real conversions (not just page views). Don’t rush the switch.

2. Daily budget (Botswana context)

• Starting budgets of ~P70–P200/day (≈ US$5–15) can work for narrow local services. The tighter your geo and keywords, the better your results at small spend.
• Set expectations: some days Google may spend up to 2× your daily budget, but it averages out monthly.

3. Location targeting (don’t skip this)

• Target only the cities/areas you serve. Examples: Gaborone, Tlokweng, Mogoditshane, Francistown, Maun, Palapye, Kasane.
• Advanced location options: change from the default to Presence: People in or regularly in your targeted locations. This prevents “interest‑only” clicks from outside Botswana.
• Exclude areas you don’t serve (e.g., outside your delivery radius).

4. Ad schedule

• Start with 7 days, 6am–9pm, then trim to the hours that actually convert.
• Align with call answer times. If no one answers after 6pm, schedule calls to daytime.

5. Devices

• Most local leads in Botswana come from mobile. Make sure your pages, forms, and WhatsApp click‑to‑chat work perfectly on phones.
• Use bid adjustments (later) if desktop underperforms for you.

Keywords & Match Types (plus negatives you must add)

1. How to find your first keywords

1. List your services (3–5 core offers). Example: web design, SEO, Google Ads management.
2. Combine with locations: Gaborone, Francistown, Maun, Palapye.
3. Add buyer intent modifiers: near me, best, price, package, company, hire, quote, book.

Examples (Botswana):

• “web design gaborone”
• “solar water pump installation botswana”
• “borehole drilling maun”
• “school fees payment software botswana”
• “clinic near me gaborone”
• “bakery francistown”
• “vehicle tracking palapye”
• “plumber near me gaborone”

2. Match types that actually work

• Exact [web design gaborone] — tight control, lower volume, high intent.
• Phrase "web design gaborone" — moderate control, good volume.
• Broad web design gaborone — use only when you have strong negative lists and conversion data.

Begin with phrase + exact in each ad group. Add controlled broad later once negatives and conversions are stable.

3. Mandatory negative keywords (start here)

Add at the campaign level so all ad groups benefit:

• Jobs terms: vacancy, career, salary, internship
• DIY: tutorial, how to build yourself, free course
• Student/learning: syllabus, assignment, notes
• Irrelevant geos (if needed): neighboring countries you don’t serve
• Competitor words in ad copy (policy risk) — you can often bid on competitor brands as keywords, but don’t put their trademark in your ad text.

4. Structure that scales

• 1 campaign = 1 goal (e.g., Leads for Web Design Gaborone).
• Ad groups by theme (not “SKAGs,” but tight). Each ad group 5–20 keywords.
• One landing page per theme to keep ad relevance and Quality Score high.

Write High‑Quality Responsive Search Ads (RSAs)

RSAs allow up to 15 headlines and 4 descriptions. Google mixes and matches to find the best combo. Your job: give it strong options that all make sense together.

RSA checklist

• Include the primary keyword and city in a few headlines: “Web Design in Gaborone”.
• Value props: Fast Turnaround, Local Support, Transparent Pricing, WhatsApp Support.
• Trust: years in business, local clients, guarantees, “Botswana‑based”.
• CTA: Get Quote, Book Free Call, Call Now.

Sample RSA (Lephutshi Developers – Web Design)

Headlines (add up to 15)
- Web Design in Gaborone
- Fast, Mobile‑First Websites
- Transparent Packages (Pula)
- Local Support — Botswana Team
- WhatsApp Us for a Quote
- SEO‑Friendly WordPress Sites
- Free Discovery Call
- 7–14 Day Turnaround
- Secure, Optimised Hosting
- Maintenance & Support Plans
- Portfolio: Botswana SMEs
- Rank Higher on Google
- Ecommerce Website Design
- Fix Slow Website Speed
- Get a Proposal Today

Descriptions (add up to 4)
- Custom WordPress websites for Botswana businesses. Clear pricing, fast delivery, friendly local support.
- Start generating leads with a site built to convert. Book a quick discovery call today.

Pro tip: Pin 1–2 headlines if the brand or offer must always show. Don’t over‑pin; you’ll limit Google’s testing.

Ad Assets (sitelinks, callouts, call, lead forms)

Assets expand your ad and lift click‑through rate. Add at least these:

• Sitelinks: Pricing, Portfolio, Reviews, Contact, FAQ.
• Callouts: Local Team, Free Quote, Fast Turnaround, Warranty, WhatsApp Support.
• Call asset: Your Botswana phone number with call reporting enabled.
• Lead form asset (optional): For on‑SERP lead capture (great on mobile). Keep it short (Name, Phone, Service).

Tip: If your business has a verified Google Business Profile, add a Location asset so ads can show your address and map pin.

Tracking & Conversions: GA4, Google tag, and Enhanced Conversions

1. Link GA4 & Google Ads

1. In Google Ads: Tools & Settings → Linked accounts → Google Analytics (GA4). Link your property.
2. In GA4: mark your lead events as Conversions (e.g., generate_lead, purchase, select_item depending on your setup).
3. In Google Ads: Tools & Settings → Conversions → New conversion action → Import from GA4 or Website if using the Google tag directly.

2. Install the Google tag (gtag.js)

• If using WordPress/Elementor, place the global site tag in the head (or use Google Tag Manager). Many themes have a header scripts area.
• Verify with the Tag Assistant extension that it’s firing on all pages.

3. Enhanced Conversions (recommended)

Enable Enhanced Conversions to improve attribution from form leads. This securely hashes first‑party fields (like email) to help Google match more conversions and train Smart Bidding better.

4. Track calls the right way

• Use Call from ads conversion if you rely on phone calls.
• Consider call tracking numbers on landing pages so you can attribute calls to specific keywords/ad groups (and keep your main line intact).

Conclusion

Google Ads works in Botswana when you keep it focused: one goal, tight locations, real conversions, and steady weekly optimization. If you’ve followed this guide, you now have a clean account that can generate real leads. Keep pruning bad search terms, test your ads, and feed the algorithm good conversion data.

If you’d rather have a certified team build and run this for you—strategy, copy, tracking, and weekly improvements—Lephutshi Developers is happy to help. We specialize in Botswana SMEs and know how to make small budgets punch above their weight.

Recommended Reading (Inline)

• Google Ads in Botswana: A Comprehensive Beginner’s Guide for PPC & ROI
• Official Google Tutorial: How to Set Up Google Ads Properly